This is my first aquarium – I’ve had it now for 2 or so years but only recently could I call it a planted tank. It is a 20 gallon tall (24w x 12d x 18h in.) that I picked up for free from a friend. It used to be a cichlid tank with rocks so it’s scratched up in the front. I got in to planted tanks sort of by accident. All the plastic décor for aquariums just didn’t do it for me and real plants seemed the only way to go.

I have a confession to make - most of the fish and plants are from Petsmart. BUT, as I add more to the tank I am hoping to shop more at the LFS.

I’d like to get some ground cover plants soon. I am thinking HC but I am not really sure how it will do in my setup.

I am at a crossroads – I am either thinking of getting some dwarf cichlid species (probably Bolivian Rams) for a focal fish OR looking into making my tank shrimp friendly and going that direction. Would my tetra community eat up any shrimp I put in?

I have been combating GDA for while now – it nearly killed the Alternantherareineckii. I’ve reduced the light and I got the pleco and nerite in hopes of getting rid of what is already in the tank – I’ll keep an eye on how things progress.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on what I have and ideas for where to go with it now.

I took a weekend trip to That Fish Place and got seom new additions to the tank! I got two Bolivian Rams (Microgeophagus altispinosa) - I am hoping I got a male and a female but we'll see. I also got a few stems of Green Myrio (Myrio pinnatum).

Here are some pics of the rams and the minor rescape to give some more open space to the fish and make room for the Green Myrio.

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